Takeru no miko (建皇子)
Takeru no miko (651 - 658) was a member of the Imperial Family in the Asuka period. He was the second prince of the Emperor Tenchi. His mother was Ochi no iratsume, who was a daughter of SOGANOKURA-YAMADA no Ishikawamaro. He had older sisters-uterine, Ota no himemiko and the Empress Jito.
It is said that he was incapable of speech, as described in Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan) that 'he was a dumb person who cannot speak.'
There is a theory about the cause of his muteness saying that, the madness of his mother, the prince Ochi no iratsume might have affected, because she gave birth to him in a frenzied state of mind, since her father KURAYAMADA no Ishikawamaro (the prince's grandfather) was executed by Naka no Oe no Oji.
According to the Nihonshoki, feeling pity towards the prince, his grandmother, the Empress Kogyoku, doted so fondly on him that she ordered at the time of her demise to bury him together with her, saying that 'even after a long period of time, be certain to bury him together with me in my tomb.'
In accordance with the will, he has been entombed in the Imperial mausoleum of the Empress Saimei (His aunt, Hashihito no Himemiko and his older sister, Ota no himemiko, have also been entombed nearby.)